Each article addresses the possibility that viruses, bacteria, and spores frozen for decades—even millennia—might remain viable once they are thawed, infecting humans.

An alarming episode, described in each article, occurred in Siberia in 2016. A number of people got sick and a 12-year-old boy died from anthrax spores believed to have come from reindeer carcasses melting out of the permafrost.

The NPR story, while acknowledging the anthrax episode, discounts the likelihood of major disease outbreaks, because researchers have been unable to culture pathogens in the laboratory from tissue samples collected from bodies thawing out of the permafrost.

Even so, the story recounts an instance in which a field researcher developed a skin infection requiring antibiotic treatment from kneeling in material steeped in rotting seal flesh from an archaeological site in northern Alaska.

Since most of us don’t live anywhere near permafrost, should we be concerned?

Possibly, if a pathogen emerges that is both deadly and highly contagious. Then it could spread way beyond the original source. The point is that as the permafrost thaws, we need to be aware and cautious when handling or being exposed to various materials, especially rotting flesh.

The concerns about illnesses and germs are serious, but we should channel our anxiety to follow the advice of public health professionals: taking commonsense precautions, staying healthy by eating well and getting plenty of rest, washing our hands frequently, covering our mouths when we sneeze or cough, staying home if we have symptoms of the flu, getting vaccinated, and supporting vaccine research efforts to the extent we can.

Particularly when it comes to work, advances in technology allow us to telecommute (unlike in 1918), which can help a great deal.

Ellen, Thanks for the comment. After reading a book about the 1918 pandemic, I’m aware of how bad things could get. Thank goodness for organizations like the CDC for tracking outbreaks to protect us all. My two years in bush Alaska showed me how close people live to the land—including melting tundra. We just need to be vigilant.

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February 2, 2018 2:59 pm

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